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How Important Are Used Games To You?

With all the debates concerning used games, I have to assume it's a critically important subject for most gamers.

But to be perfectly honest, I don't think I'd care if they dropped off the face of the earth tomorrow. I mean, I just don't get the appeal. Thing is, if I want a game, I usually get it within a week of it coming out and at that point, I'll only save $5 for the used copy. To me, I don't see a gigantic difference between $60 and $55, especially if one is brand-spanking new for only $5 more.

Of course, some used games are $10 cheaper or something like that, and I know GameStop's PowerUp Rewards initiative grants you an extra percentage. So maybe that's enough to really entice people. But even if I wanted to wait for a game; if it wasn't so important to me and I planned to pick it up later, why am I buying it used? It's less, anyway. If it's $30 new eight months after it comes out, okay. I'm also not convinced that GameStop looks at traded-in disks closely enough, and I know a lot of friends who have had to go through several copies of the same game.

I'm just not interested in dealing with some of the snafus that can come with pre-owned products, especially when the difference in price is pretty minimal. Besides, if it's a gift or something, who wants to buy a used present? I've never really understood the big draw of pre-owned games but I know lots who love it. ...well, okay.

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Legacy Comment System (59 posts)

Fairly important, and it has nothing to do with Gamestop or five bucks off. Through Ebay I can play tons of games I wasn't sure about dropping $60 or even $30 on. Instead I can get a pristine copy for $10-$20 most of the time, it keeps me a busy gamer with a wide spectrum of experiences and I learn about franchises and developers who may deserve my full support next time.

Also it is an income stream, if I buy something and I don't like it I can recoup some of my costs. (Ahem Demon's Souls ahem) so instead of losing $60 on a sh*tty game I lose $10 or $20.

More important than that though is not having the console company treat me like a criminal and deadbeat for exercising basic consumer rights.Last edited by WorldEndsWithMe on 6/21/2013 10:41:07 PM

Games depreciate in value very quickly these days, and w/o the used game market ( or alongside digitally registered media), new games can be sold for even cheaper, further reducing their price over time. If a game is a dud, demos, videos and feedback from like-minded gamers will help you avoid them. But, yeah, I, too like to have my options open.

I'd hate to have to always rely on a retailer or some business distribution to find an older game. Without the used game market classic favorites would be available only as long as the publisher chooses to market them. That would infinitely suck.

I think new games would still drop in price for a few reasons. After a game's marketing cycle ends, like in advertising media and headline exposure from game sites, the demand/hype of a given title naturally goes down, so too does it's need to recoup advertising expenses. At this point this older title can't compete so well with the next newer title receiving the current exposure of media and marketing etc. The older title by this time positions itself as a value proposition to value shoppers which receives little to no marketing other than it's shelf space. Over time retailers must make room for newer titles and push the older stock out of inventory by 'clearance' pricing items. This is where the death of a physical product would happen if it weren't for the used game market. Unless of course the game is later revived. But seeing that classic PS2 franchises like Xenosaga only exist as 'used' games game collectors can have something they really value, knowing that this series will likely never be restored to a Playstation platform. That franchise is essentially dead with only the used game market keeping it from being lost entirely.

I certainly understand your concerns for the used game market. I myself haven't bought a used game in a couple of years since I snipe for great deals online when needed. Perhaps, it's based on some misplaced concern that developers need to be rewarded. But, rest assured, I don't think used game market is going to vanish anytime, soon, as long as consoles exist. Peace.

While supply and demand is certainly inescapable factor, one must also consider the effect of used game sales on the increasing cost of development. Used games sales have a similar effect as piracy that prevent returns to developers over the long run. Partly for this reason, consumers then get nickel and dimed with season passes and dlc. But, I understand that used games only enter the market if those titles sell brand new. As it is, the market is flooded with titles, which means lower-selling titles have difficulty selling during launch window, and therefore depend on sales over the longer haul to see returns. The developers of these titles get hurt the most from used games sales, in my estimation.Last edited by Shams on 6/22/2013 5:24:46 AM

I also think of PC's largely DRM-shackled, thank you pirates, closed environment where 'used' games virtually don't exist but prices go very low. Ironically, the very best deals I encounter happen there.

If you're talking the MSRP standard for new games I absolutely agree.If you're talking anything else I absolutely disagree because my 15+ years of experience in retail environments that don't involve used product competition totally suggests otherwise.

I am talking MSRP, anything else comes down to the publisher and retailer. For instance Ubisoft and Square Enix games need to sell more so they come down. Activision doesn't so Call of Duty prices barely decrease even years later when a new entry is out.

Well good, World. I was beginning to think people were starting to believe Uncharted 1 should retail for $60 even today, wihtout a used game market, even with U2 and U3 on the shelf next to it. That was not making sense to me at all.

Anyway, at least ONE nice thing about buying new is that you don't have to worry about your game smelling like wet dog. A month ago I bought DOA3 USED off Ebay for Xbox for like $3 (yeah, the first sign of trouble ;). It claimed to be 'like-new' as if it just got taken out of it's shrink wrap. Well, it pretty much LOOKS that way other than the fact the dang thing wreaks and I have no idea how =p

I did buy Metroid the Other M at Hastings yesterday USED but it's like absolutely pristine in condition for $5. $5!Last edited by Temjin001 on 6/22/2013 3:50:37 PM

I don't make bank like Ben does =p nor do I often get free games, so buying games on the cheap, new or used, is real important to me.I've also found that choosing to not live on the cutting edge of anything tech related, saves you TONS of cash, used or not. I can't stress enough how within about 6-9 months time a person really can obtain 3 games for the price of one new game.For me the value of having an open used market isn't just in the 'cheapness' but in the 'no strings attached' nature of the media.

Also, there's one last point. If I were to only buy new d1p games I'd have to rely too heavily on critics. I've found some of my favorite all time games by NOT sticking to buying only the highest rated games. Oddly enough the only d1p games I get these days are only the games I want no matter what. Games like DOA and NG. SO basically I like having a loosely coupled relationship between the critical reception and the way I like to spend my free time, as my values do not always coincide with the general critical consensus. The Journey Collection, for one, is not for me. I admire it's uniqueness and all so I won't sell it but I really should've spent my $40 on something else at the time and then nabbed Journey for $10 or less.. my gut was telling me that too. I need more 'game play' in what I play ;)

Used games aren't really important to me at all. I would never pay Gamestop's used prices. I actually don't even purchase new games from them. But the only time I buy used games is when Go Hastings has B2G1 sales because they have older games for under $5 sometimes. But I wouldn't care if that went away. If I really want a game, I get it right away brand new. I don't have a problem giving my money to the developers that make awesome games for me to enjoy :)

I usually don't buy used games, haven't bought a single used PS3 game.But what if a game is out of print, then you have to have the option to buy it used, so the ability to buy used games is very important even though I buy all my games new.

ADmittedly I do not buy many used games, unless they are older games and hard to find. I try to be certain about my purchases. If its not in the budget, I wait, and if I wait long enough the games is cheaper. Gamestop does not give you much of a deal here, you really only save five bucks, but I guess if you purchase enough used games you save enough for a game... I suppose.

For the PS3 I only bought two used games for it, Dead Space and t Star Wars The Foce Unleashed - Sith Edition. And I have to say of the two... Dead Space was worth it. Can't beet playing Silent Hill in Space.:)

I probably get 98% of my games via Gamefly. So, based on that number I would say my desire for used games is a number one priority. I just purchased, with my GF rewards, The Last of Us for 38.00. You can't beat that. Sadly, there are far too many titles that are released with great promise, hype and trumped up game scores that you can never be entirely certain of what you are actually buying. ACII is a great example of a title that I was greatly relieved to have tried before shelling out 50.00...in the end I shipped it back to gamefly. Having the option to try out games, obtain discounts, is perhaps one of the BEST game perks around. If manufactures find a way to abolish this, I will probably move on from gaming.

True that....I've tried demos and have sometimes LOVED the game, but on the flip side...tried a demo only to get into the game and find it tediously boring and immensely relieved I could just ship it back!

I'll buy 5 or 6 new games a year but I very much appreciate the flexibility that Gamefly and Gamestop allow me to play games that I wouldn't have otherwise considered. Used games and rentals may be a source of irritation for the industry but they're one of the few advantages that gamers have.

I never buy used unless its something in the bargain bin or I can't find new anymore. I got Red Steel 2 for $6 a month ago. The $5 savings at GameStop for most newer games just isn't worth it but I so loan many of my games to my dad and my friends so I wouldn't like DRM restrictions at all. As is said in another thread I just don't see used games the same way others who hate them do. Hard to justify DRM with games when they're essentially no different that bluray movies. Game simply aren't like computer software.

For me they aren't important to me at all. I buy games which I intend to keep. If it's a game I intend to sell on down the track, it wasn't worth getting in the first place. That's me though, it's still important to me that that's how I choose how to treat my games. Not dictated to by hardware or publishers.

Being able to buy a cheap used game is NOT the issue which has people upset. This is a debate about OWNERSHIP, and whether we have the right to use the property which we have purchased in the manner in which we so choose. If I have no right to re-sell a game, that means it is not mine. If I'm paying $60 for a video game, it had damn well better be mine! If I want to re-sell it, trade it, lend it, do whatever to it, I should have that right! I almost never purchase digitally distributed music and movies for exactly this reason: They are not yours, and are severely restrictive. Just because a lot of other people have given up their right of ownership, that doesn't mean that I will be giving up mine any time soon! If that means eschewing all future gaming consoles, then so be it. I was fully prepared to dump PlayStation, if they had pulled a similar move to Microsoft's.

Another reason that this strategy of Microsoft's was so very dangerous, is because it would allow price-fixing. Remember how Activision would like to make games $100, if they could? On a console like the Xbox One or PS4, if there is no secondary market, there is only one source for games. A game console is a closed system, and with no competition for your dollar, there is no reason to let the market dictate prices. If anyone thinks that 100% digital distro will ever lower prices, they are completely mistaken. Steam is not an apt comparison to this model, because Steam is on an OPEN platform! Steam has lots of competition and lots of reasons to offer incentives for you to do business with them. I have no great love of Steam, but purchase from them because of their deals. Otherwise, I would be buying at Good Old Games or other places that are DRM-free, all on the same machine. That's the magic of competition: It benefits you, the consumer! Microsoft was trying to eliminate the competition.

A third worrisome factor in this argument is preservation. What happens to a DRM-locked console in 10 years time? 20 years time? If Always Online is the order of the day, what happens when the servers disappear? What happens if discs cannot be traded, because the "participating retailer" network has disappeared? That is spelling the doom of an entire generation of games. What would have happened to classics like StarTropics or Faxanadu, if the NES had had a system like this? This was another element of Microsoft's scheme: The ability to tell you when to STOP gaming!

The idea of a DRM-locked console which eliminates the after-market offers zero benefits to the consumer. It is about control. Control over how you buy games, control over how much you pay, control over how you use them, and control over when they die!

That is why "used games" are important.Last edited by ProfPlayStation on 6/22/2013 2:23:11 AM

However, I think the dirty little secret that nobody wants to admit is that once again, this all comes down to money. If games never cost more than ten bucks, say, few would care if they weren't allowed to trade them in. The ownership issue would still be an issue for those noble few who understood the principles behind (and understood how it could escalate).

But really, whenever I see such arguments, the majority just seem intent on saving a few bucks, and not so much on anything else. The bottom line is that money talks; the bottom-line cost inspires action while the principles only inspire talk. Nobody would care much about "control" when we're talking mere change or a few dollars, now would they?

Which is all good news for Sony, as their new console is $100 cheaper. ;)Last edited by Ben Dutka PSXE on 6/22/2013 11:08:53 AM

Nicely put, and can only agree with every word you said. GoG is the closest you can get, to owning your digital copies.

I can only speak for myself, so here are my 2 cents..Without the ability to lend/sell used games, I would not, for the past few months, have acquired Timesplitters 1, 2, 3, Onimusha 3, Tony Hawks 4, Ace Combat: Squadron Leader, Distant Thunder, Odin Sphere, SSX On Tour, Second Sight, Psi-Ops, Burnout 3 and GTA3.

I wouldn't have borrowed Okami, Dead Space, Red Dead Redemption and more, but more importantly, I would never have borrowed the best game I have ever played (Shadow of the Colossus) from my brother, which I now own an unopened copy for (which I bought from a guy and not a store funnily enough), as well as the HD collection both on disc and digital(PS+).

I don't deal with gamestop though, so I can't speak for that. What I do know, is that when everything becomes digital, we will lose a lot of what makes gaming special. Not everyone feels this way, but a lot of us do.

@Ben - I do agree with you. Like I said, the only reason I deal with Steam is because of the insane prices. I'm all for supporting devs, but paying full price for something which I don't really own just doesn't sit right. The only way I could see no-used really working on consoles is if we had an open standard, which would allow anyone to sell almost anything on any platform, but then we're back to square one, with that being a PC.

@Ishkur - Right on! This is something which is very often overlooked in the used debate. I have bought many things as a result of borrowing a friend's copy, or have bought the rest of a series from being unsure about the initial purchase and going for a cheap used copy. The lower barrier to entry allows you to discover new artists and products which you might otherwise have never considered. With Microsoft having already demonstrated that they keep digital prices as high as possible, the barrier to entry could not be larger on a closed system.

Well now the used game market goes beyond Gamestop and their high price for a used game. I typically buy used from Glyde or in the classifieds because I can save a lot more. Id rather deal with the peraon looking to get rid of the game because for one they usually can get more than what Gamestop would offer and I will get it for a better price.

Now I will buy new anytime I can which is 80% of the time. But if I missed out on a game I'll usually try and pick it up used later.Last edited by bigrailer19 on 6/22/2013 2:46:59 AM

It used to be super important to me during the PS2 era, when I was a starving student. The PS3 era, though, I've rediscovered my love of collecting and don't sell anything. I also don't typically buy used. But things have been good lately. If that changed and I was on a tighter budget, I'd probably go back to used.

Basically, I believe in supporting the industry directly because I can.

Oh yes it is very important, I just recently bought Bioshock: Infinite fro half the retail price. Had it not been on offer pre-owned I would not have got it for ages. I@m currently playing the other 2 games first and I look forward to cracking it open.

But most of my games are pre-owned in all honesty. Full retail price for a game is very expensive. I may splash out on a day 1 purchase if it is a game I am very excited about but usually I just cannot afford to buy every game brand new, especially not all the titles we have had this year!

So if they were to remove this feature I certainly would not have 50+ PS3 games I have now. Now would I be willing to try out a game which might not initially seem so appealing. NieR is a fine example, it got mediocre reviews, I was hesitant but it turned out to be one of my favourite games this gen. I would have passed on that if it was just full retail priced. So I think it is also important to give people the chance to explore genres and games they wouldn't normally do so.Last edited by Vivi_Gamer on 6/22/2013 3:36:15 AM

I recently just got used copies of Kelly Slaters Pro Surfer and Transworld Surf for PS2 because I started surfing again and wanted some surf games. If there was no secondary market where would I have found these games new?

And, I think a better question, why were there no surfing games this gen?

It's important for me. The fact that I have an option to buy a game for much cheaper and sell it if I needed to. And the fact that my future children can play my used game collection without a hassle or restrictions in their each own console and I can lend it to one of my friends if they ask me to.

ill never understand why people like to pay 10 bucks less for a game but have to put up with damaged discs, damaged cases, damaged manuals, no DLC, no preorder content, and get ripped through the a$$ with trade in credits as well.its the buy a 20 year old beetle for a mill, or buy a brand spanking new ferrari for a mill and 10 dollars.ones infinitely better value than the other, and all it costs you is a extra 10!almost as big a scam as paying for their game protection guarantee!NEVER have i scratched a disc, and that includes when a few friends and i got drunk and were hurling them around the room!

no event, just was a lazy saturday afternoon wanted to drink.as for renting thats a whole other kettle of fish as used games.gamestop may get a disc traded in what, 2 times?3?rental services though get a sh*t ton more hands than 3!when i use to work at video ezy express we use to have discs rotated 10 times before they were removed and cleaned, and 99% the time they would not clean them they would just remove them than put em back in.so that would mean 20 turns before they see their first clean!not even the protective layer on blurays could handle that many turns.

plus when its your disc, you tend to look after it.when its not yours, well........funniest story i ever got there, this mother rented 2 movies for her kids and they used the discs as skates to skate across the kitchen floor and wanted to get a refund for the fee we charged for damaged discs.right, so your stupid enough to leave things that are not yours lying around so your kids can trash them, and we should be the ones out of pocket.good luck with that!

does not matter, no matter where you go there still not worth it.all retailers dont offer much of a reduction off new price, especially not when you consider all the crap you have to put up with!ONLY good thing about used games is EB extends their return policy to 2 weeks instead of the 10 days LVL 4 members get.only 4 days extra than the norm i normally get but i never use it anyway because very few games take 2 weeks to finish.

Most of the games I buy (say 75-80%) are day one purchases and I have no problem keeping a game if I really enjoyed it and felt that I got my $60 worth out of it. On rare occasions I have felt burned by a bad game (that I've payed $60 for), and almost feel cheated by it, so I do want to get some of my money back out of it. The money I have gotten back does inevitably go back into gaming.

For the record, ever since I found out that EB Games is owned by Gamestop, I've traded-in/sold the games I've disliked through other avenues.

I used to buy used when I was strapped for cash back in the College days, and those weren't the save $5 now and spend $10 for the online pass either. That was the year olds for $20. Lately I've bought maybe 2 used games and only because they couldn't be found... echoing points above.

I couldn't care less about the used games now. It's the controls that are put in place for the "used game market" that are the real pain. I miss the days of taking a game to a friends, or even just my save file so we can do proper co-op. That's nigh impossible now because of all the restrictive crap they're doing. As much as I like some of the new games set to come out, I quit. Can't take it anymore. I'll stick with my PS3 and PS2. No more consoles for me. Time to dust of the NES.

I am not a huge fan of used games myself, but that doesn't mean that I would want the folks that primarily buy games used to be adversely affected by my personal game purchasing habits.

I would say that out of the 120 or so physical games that I have purchased this generation, only about a dozen of them were bought used at GameStop, and I haven't bought any used games at all in three or four years.

Having said that, I hope that the used market stays around for a good long time, because that will be the only way I ever experience another CoD game, or any other game that has that kind of blind, mass-market appeal, because I refuse to support any games like this unless it's through a used game purchase.

i understand that they can hurt an industry, but here is my 2 cents from a consumers perspective.

(and im sure most will agree.)

When i buy a game, it will be good (or it better be) but if it isn't id like the opportunity to get rid of it.

now i can try a demo of the game but then again some demos really dont reflect the actual game. (im looking at you alien colonial marines)so now u make this game and its 60 bucks.and it sucks...so im stuck with it???....

ill put it this way. if all consoles adapted xbox's policy, i would have to treat games the way i do on steam.and thats not really a good thing. (allow me to explain)the game must be an absolute hit with me for me to purchase otherwise i wont buy until its on sale (for dirt cheap!!!) and even then i probably wont care.and that means (to me anyway) less sales overall (if more ppl thought like me)

used games = importantlike nintendo said, make games people wont want to trade in make a god damn effort instead of trying to lock your consumers into BULLSH!T

It is very important. My game purchases have dwindled greatly in the past year but going back a couple of years I reaped great benefit from being able to trade in my old games. Even if I only got £4 per game for the really old ones I only had to trade in 10 (freeing up space also) to cover the cost of a new game.

More often than not I'd get around £20 for each trade in which is more or less 50% back on my original purchase.

Also I managed to pick up Mirrors Edge for £8 and at the time I don't even think it was available brand new.

Used games are important for me as they are cheaper and offer the complete,unaltered,fun-filled digital experience that a new one would offer...save ofc the ones that come/came with online passes..which I don't care about.